


A/B/O in Ancient China and Post-20th Century China

by Lilian_Cho



Category: Unspecified Fandom
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Omegaverse, Ancient China, Hormone Blockers, Meta, More tags to be added, background universe, tables
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:53:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22503565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilian_Cho/pseuds/Lilian_Cho
Summary: 1. A/B/O in Ancient ChinaIn which omegas can never ever be First Consort, even if the First Consort died and an omega is the mother of the heir.2. A/B/O in Post-20th Century China: Mandatory Hormone BlockersIn which, instead of the One Child Policy, the Chinese government delay the presentation of Chinese adolescents to age twenty by mandatory hormone blocker injections.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	1. A/B/O in Ancient China

**Author's Note:**

> ~~Tagging those three fandoms because those are the ones I read.~~ I'd probably end up writing a _Don't You Like Me_ (你是不是喜欢我) fanfic instead...
> 
> ETA 08/20: So someone actually had the free time to police my tags (by reporting it to AO3? *shrugs*). Rather than policing random fanwork's tags...you should put in that time and effort labeling racism in fanworks...making sure all slavery AU fanworks are tagged properly...and all these other barbs that makes fandom an unwelcoming space for brown fans.

\- A head of household can be an alpha male, alpha female, or beta male. 

\- First Consort (夫人/ fū ren) is usually a beta female. On rare occasions, an alpha female.  
Alpha females can have an alpha male or beta male as First Consort, but only if the First Consort is marrying in.

\- Omega female and omega male can only be concubines or, at most, Second Consort. They’re considered not rational/stable enough to hold the important post of First Consort. Even if the First Consort dies and an omega is the mother of the heir, the omega cannot be promoted to the First Consort position.

\- Technically, omegas can be First Consort in poor households where the head of household only has one spouse. However, most omegas end up being sold into rich households as concubines.  
\- Unmarried omegas belong to their parents (or older sibling/guardian), and married omegas belong to their head of household.  
\- Married omegas are not considered a separate legal entity in the eyes of the law. Married omegas cannot initiate divorce proceedings.

**Alpha/Beta/Omega marriages in Ancient China**  
---  
. | α female Head of Household | α male Head of Household | β male Head of Household  
α female | Accepted | Valid. Not widely accepted*. | Not accepted  
α male | Only valid when the α male is marrying in. | Illegal (No heir/issue) | Illegal (No heir/issue)  
β female | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted  
β male | Only valid when the β male is marrying in. | Illegal (No heir/issue) | Illegal (No heir/issue)  
ω female | Accepted only if she's not First Consort. | Accepted only if she's not First Consort. | Accepted only if she's not First Consort.  
ω male | Accepted only if he's not First Consort. | Accepted only if he's not First Consort. | Accepted only if he's not First Consort.  
  
* The populace still remember the alpha male/alpha female union that ended with the Empress Consort wresting the throne and becoming Emperor.


	2. A/B/O in 20th-21st Century China: Mandatory Hormone Blockers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse my pseudo-biology and casual rewriting of actual history. Also I'm too lazy to make up new names for αβω hormones.

1929: ω hormone was discovered/isolated.

1935: α hormone was discovered/isolated.

1938: β hormone was discovered/isolated.

1950: China’s New Marriage Law prohibits arranged marriages, child betrothals and concubinages. Omegas can now marry in as a husband/wife instead of a concubine. On paper, alphas, betas and omegas are free to initiate divorce proceedings. In practice, divorce is not easily granted.

1960s: Over two thousand “late bloomers”/non-presenting teenagers in the U.S. received αβω hormone injections. Three of them died. Department of Health and Human Services immediately stopped the hormone distribution. 

1971: αβω-releasing hormone was discovered.

1970s: Chinese government discourage Alpha/Omega marriages (due to high fertility). No laws or official statement was made, but all media in Mainland China depict Alpha/Beta, Beta/Beta and Beta/Omega couples instead. 

Late 1970s: Hundreds of early-presenting children were successfully treated with αβωRH agonists and antagonists.

1979: Heat suppressant injections are provided free of charge at university hospitals in China. Omegas are required by their workplace to be on heat suppressants. 

1979-1982: Thousands of high school-age children in China were given hormone blocker injections to delay presentation. Their progress and subsequent health were monitored. The side effects and sequela were deemed “mild” and “acceptable.”

1981: Minimum marriage age in China is raised to 20 years old for omegas and 22 years old for alphas and betas. Divorce is easier to obtain. 

1983: Hormone blockers are mandatory for every Chinese citizen residing in China between age 15-19 years old. The biannual injections are provided free of charge through schools and universities. After a student turns 20, they have the option to continue taking hormone blockers until they graduate from university.  
Most students opt to stop their injections during or before their senior year. They time their injection so they will present during holidays at home instead of on campus. A few students exploit the loophole and stay on hormone blockers well into graduate school.

International students studying in China live in separate dormitory buildings. 

Chinese citizens* under age 20 who are not currently a student can get government-subsidized hormone blocker injections by providing their ID/household registration. 

Parents who fail to put their children on hormone blockers are fined for law evasion and child neglect.

1980s - 2014: Over 100 million were fitted with IUD after giving birth to a second child. Some of these people, especially omegas, experienced health complications because of the IUD.

2008: Chinese citizens going to university abroad are legally exempted from taking hormone blockers. Some still choose to take hormone blockers, timing it with their visits home to China.

2016: Minimum marriage age in China is universally 20 years old for alphas, betas and omegas. Most people are getting married in their late 20s regardless.

2020: ???

* Unregistered children/[heihaizi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heihaizi), usually third children, cannot get government-subsidized hormone blocker injections because a) they don't have legal ID, and b) they're not on their parents' household registration.

**Alpha/Beta/Omega marriages in 20th Century-Present Day China**  
---  
. | α female | α male | β female | β male | ω female | ω male  
α female | Legal | Legal | Legal | Legal | Legal | Legal  
α male | Legal | Illegal (No heir/issue) | Legal | Illegal (No heir/issue) | Legal | Legal  
β female | Legal | Legal | Illegal (No heir/issue) | Legal | Illegal (No heir/issue) | Legal  
β male | Legal | Illegal (No heir/issue) | Legal | Illegal (No heir/issue) | Legal | Legal  
ω female | Legal | Legal | Illegal (No heir/issue) | Legal | Illegal (No heir/issue) | Legal  
ω male | Legal | Legal | Legal | Legal | Legal | Legal  
  
**Author's Note:**

> If you're inspired by my notes to write something, please a) link to this post, and b) link me so I can read it!
> 
> Feel free throw your A/B/O headcanons at me =D
> 
> P.S. Here's [The legality of A/B/O marriages in early 19th Century England](https://archiveofourown.org/works/543233/chapters/965927) if you're into A/B/O Regency. I spend too much time trying to figure out how A/B/O would work in different society settings ^^;;


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